The Naworde history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Naworde history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Naworde family originally lived in Devon at the manor of Knaworth, which later came to be spelled Noseworthy.

Naworde Early Origins

The surname Naworde was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Naworde Spelling Variations

Naworde Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Noseworthy, Norseworthy, Nosworthy, Norseworth, Noseworth and many more.

Naworde Early History

Naworde Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Naworde research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1481, 1530, 1502, 1503 and 1523 are included under the topic Early Naworde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Naworde Early Notables (pre 1700)

Naworde Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Naworde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Naworde Tristrum and Ann Nosworthy, who arrived in Virginia in 1639; Joan Nosworthy, who came to Virginia in 1664; Edw. Nosworthy, who was on record in Virginia in 1666.

The Naworde Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Naworde Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.